Conveyor construction



United States Patent 2,944,658 n coNvEYoR CONSTRUCTION Donald D. zebley, no. nox 1116, Branwood station, Greenville, S.C.

original applicanonapr. 1, 1951, ser'. No. 649,831.

Divided and this application Nov. 19,

s claims. (c1. 19a- 111) Y and in this fashion making up a complete conveyor system.

It is the further object of the present invention to provide a novel form of wheel track for movably mounting and suspending the series of load carrying conveyor '.brackets, which at the same time serve as a means lof u splicing the cable elements together.

It is the further object of this nvention Vto provide. a

very simpleV -light weight trolley conveyor system which' consists of a vsingle stamping corresponding to eachrconveyor bracket together'with a cooperative locking plate for immovably securingsaid bracketsin a series to spacedportions of a' conveyor cable or to the respective adjacent ends of Vla series of alignedy cable elements for splicing these elements together and at the same time securing the conveyor brackets to the saidsplcedcable elements and incorporating means for'movably mounting the assembly from an overhead track.

These and other objects will beV seen from the following specification Iand claims in conjunction with the appended drawing in which: Y

Fig 1 is an end elevational View of a conveyor bracket assembly as suspended from an overhead track.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig 2 oa slight variation, on a reduced scale.

It will be understood that the above drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of thev claims hereafter set forth. Y A l A conveyor assembly is shown in Figs. 'l and 2 of a 195s, ser. No. v

'Serial No. 649,837, led April l, 1957, rel l-ight weight construction. A conveyor element issupported by a single roller 61, `movably mountedl upon aV horizontally elongated channeltrack 46. Y

Track 46 in Fig. l has at its top and bottom the longirtudinally extending opposed reverse turned semi-circular Patented July 12, 1960 i The conveyor mechanism consists of a series of longitudinally spaced upright lcable engaging brackets, one of which is shown. This light weight trolley assembly consists of the'formed upright plate 56 which towards its upper-end has an outwardly tapered upwardly' extending portion 57 terminating in the upright extension 58. Rivet 59 and spacing bushing 60 eectively journal and mount the roller or wheel 61 adapted to move within the open channel track V4'6.

The central upright atportion of plate-56-has formed therethrough the horizontally extending rectangular aperture 62. Said plate also has formed upon one side and beyond the ends of aperture 62 the Yarcuate slots 63 adapted to cooperatively engage portions ofthe cable elements 64. vThe slots 63 may be serrated,if desired to increase frictional contact with the cable elements. YEach of the individual cable elements 64 have secured upon their ends cylindrical buttons 65, which as shown in Fig. 2, are in longitudinal registry as at 72 and are nested so as to project laterally through the bracket aperture 62, as shown in Fig. l.

The assembly is completed by the upright retainer plate `66 which is secured to plate 56 in parallel spaced relation by a pair of bolts and nuts 67 arranged above and below cable buttons 65. Plate 66 also has formed therethrough a rectangular aperture 69 corresponding to Y aperture 62 and in opposed relation thereto and through which portions of the buttons laterally extend in the same manner. Outer portions of plate 66 upon its interior beyond the aperture 62 are arcuately slotted at 63 opposing the slots 63 adapted to cooperatively receive cable elements 64. lSlots 68 may be serrated, if desired.

By this construction there is provided a very simple and effective means of splicing cable elements 64 togetherby a simple trolley-.conveyor mechanism which includes plates 56 and-66 bolted togetherat67. v Y

The lower portion of late v5.6 is laterally oiset as at l70 so as to be in verticalnregistry with the vertical axis of roller 61 and thus defines with the transverse aperture 71 means for supporting a load and for moving the same Vthroughout 'the length of the conveyor track. l

It is contemplated that a single cable may be employed instead of a series of cable elements `64. In that case, a series of spaced elongated cylindrical buttons V65 are secured in spaced relation upon the cable. Apertures 62 69 of plates 56-66 thus receive a single elongated y button 65 which will have Va length corresponding to the individual lengths of the small buttons `65 in Fig. 2.

The present inventionmay be adapted for the securthe load carrying plates 56 is exactly the same as 4above n k described in connection with Fig. 2, except that'a single button is received within the elongated aperture 62 of plate 56, and the corresponding aperture of plate 66,

. Fig. l.l

shaped track elements 47 and y48, with the roller 61 movably supported loosely upon lower'track 48.

As one means of support for track 46 there are provided a series of longitudinally spaced brackets 49 welded to upper portions of the track at VSi) and transversely apentured at 51. The track is supported at a series of horizontally spaced pointsV by the mounting brackets 55 whose lower bifurcated ends 52 loosely receive brackets 49 and are secured thereto by the transverse headed pin 53 and the retaining Cotter-pin 54.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had tothe following claims:

' I claim:

plate dening the ends of said aperture retainingly engaging the outer ends of said buttons, a retainer plate parallel to said load carrying plate having a similar transverse aperture therethrough loosely receiving portionsr of said buttons, portions of said retainer plate defining the lends of its aperture retainingly engaging the outer ends of said' buttons, and means securing said plates together -above and below said buttons.

2. In the conveyor of claim l, said cable elements veX- tending between and engaging said plates.

3. In the conveyor of claim l, said buttons extending laterally through said apertures.

4. In the conveyor of claim 1, the inner surfaces of said plates at the ends of said apertures being longitudinally ygrooved to cooperatively receive adjacent cable elements.

5. In a conveyor adapted for movable mounting on and suspended from an overhead track, an elongated cable, a series of longitudinally spaced cylindrical buttons secured on said cable, a series of longitudinally spaced trolley brackets, each bracket consistingof an upright load carrying plate depending from said track, there being a horizontally elongated transverse aperture extending through said plate loosely receiving a button, portionsV of said plate deining the ends of said aperture retainingly engaging the ends of said button, a retainer plate parallel to said load carrying plate having a similar References Cited n the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 865,263 Moe sept. 3, 1907 1,294,813 Lammert et al Feb. 18, 1919 2,702,114 Jensen Feb. 15, 1955 

